(I'll condemn) the world for your sake
by AyumiUK
Summary: We both wanted to find the meanings of our existences- his for the sins of a deceased father; mine for an undeserved second chance. "As long as Ace is alive, he can find happiness again. I'll do whatever it takes to save him, even forfeit my humanity." Self-insert, no romance. Gray!SI, dark themes, parody.
1. Gifted

**The World for Your Sake**

**Part I: Cycle**

**-Gifted-**

_"Respect the sea and you'll have a wonderful life."_

From the first glimpse of waves and salty water, I was in love.

I ran as fast as my toddler legs could carry me; worried my parents sick too, but they could never stay away from the seashore either.

Giggling madly, tumbling through the sand, disregarding the perils. So beautiful! I couldn't stop running on and on, until my feet touched the water and I felt the first wave.

It shouldn't surprise anyone that both my parents' last names meant water.

My life began in water, thrived in water; ended in water and reformed in water.

{**I**_'ll_ _do w_**hate**_ver _**it**_ takes_}

Struggling desperately to stay afloat on turbulent water; losing the battle against the tides and succumbing to my beloved sea. Cold water invaded my nostrils –_it burns!_ – I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see—

**Darkness.**

_Floating._

Water, so warm, so soothing…

A distant lullaby, synchronized heartbeats. One, two. One, two. One...

I tried to reach out to the beautiful sound—

_Please, wait a little bit more…?_

Against all instincts, I did my best to remain **still**.

At first, it was okay; I slept and listened to _muffled_ conversations and the constant percussion of **h**e**a**r**t**b**e**a**t**s.

**A_g_**_o_n**y** like no other. Stabbing, shocking, burning, fr**e_e_**_z_**ing**— _'Is it even possible to _**die** twice_?'_

_Sister.** Hold.**_

And suddenly, a hand grasped mine. The nausea went away, and the excruciating pain gave way to calmness. No, that wasn't quite the right word; it was so comforting and amaz_ing and_… _I slept_.

Time went by, unnoticed in that warm darkness. Throughout that time, the hand never let me go.

_Light_. **Blurs**. Fragmented s_o_u_n_d_s . **Cold air**.

I **c**ri**ed**.

Soon after, another scream joined mine.

A _gentle embrace_ and the most _beautiful_ face in the **world**.

The woman smiled and closed her eyes for the last time. Her mouth never moved, yet I understood the words she meant to speak:

_"My babies… grow strong and protect each other's happiness."_

**000**

I finally found something worth more than the sea, someone I'd gladly die for, again and again: my younger half, the sibling I never had in my first life.

Thinking of protecting him, I smiled and opened my mouth.

Ew! That thing was bitterer than Spanish roast coffee, sourer than powdered citric acid and smelled worse than overripe jackfruit! I didn't know that was possible.

_"Respect the sea and you'll have a wonderful life."_

The inability to swim ever again wasn't such a terrible price after all.

Let's just hope I don't drown myself to death again…

Uh, is it too late to regurgitate?

**[I'll condemn] the world for your sake**

Prologue end_

AN: So, I wanted to write a self-insert, a twin parody, a dark!fic and a One Piece flashfics collection. Combining them all seemed like such a good idea at the time…

This is a prologue. Real chapters will probably be longer. Hopefully.

For S(O-W)A readers: don't kill me? In my defense, this didn't take one tenth of the time I spend on each SOWA chapter… which is kind of pathetic, considering I've been typing, retyping and writing an outline for [IC]twfys for… uh, holy crop, seven hours.

Edit (December 16, 2013): I changed the formatting. Is it ugly? Horrible? So so? _(...amazing...?)_


	2. Nurtured

**-****Nurtured****-**

My perception of time was hazy at best.

The only certainty in this strange place was the warm bundle next to me, so I scuttled closer and slept.

**000**

Life as a baby was aggravating, to say the least.

I couldn't walk, which meant nappies –and they weren't even the disposable kind! At least they weren't itchy…

Everything was too loud, too blurry, too frustrating.

Things eventually improved when I got the hang on rolling around. My muscles were finally strong enough for two or three push-ups… _'Wait a minute. Push-ups are supposed to make you strong, right? And strength means walking.'_

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, **CRAMP!**

And I spent the rest of the week moaning in distress, clutching my neck. Little bro noticed something was wrong and we performed a duet of doom. Ah, screaming our lungs out was therapeutic.

_I'm so blaming my baby brain for that._

**000**

I didn't really notice it at first, but as months went by, it got steadily harder to ignore: the adults spoke gibberish. The only words I could pick out from the strange sounds were Ace and Ann.

Huh. That sounded vaguely familiar.

**000**

For some reason, I always knew what Ace wanted; I suspect he could do the same. Maybe it's a twin thing?

The language was still a mystery, but I needed to communicate –okay,_ wanted to complain_ (_Same thing, right? Right._) to someone who, instead of nodding indulgently, could actually understand. So, I kicked common sense out of the window and started training my pronunciation. In my native tongue—er, language from the other life.

Pre-native tongue…?

Little Ace didn't like being excluded, so he copied whatever I did. Months went by and the two of us could speak Portuguese fluently.

The adults were perplexed.

**000**

We could walk by ourselves and even sprint for a few seconds. We could doodle, sing, count and talk to each other.

Sometimes, I could catch worried expressions focused on us. Whenever that happened, Ace would frown uneasily, so I tried my best to distract him.

One day, a petite woman started visiting us. She'd point to objects and say their names. Every time we repeated after her, she'd pat our heads and smile. Ace grew irritated with the woman's condescending attitude and turned to me, _'Será que ela acha que nós somos cachorros?'_

_Dogs, huh?_

I grinned at him and barked. He grinned back and started running in circles. Yipping, barking, growling and rolling around soon evolved to a tickling war. She tried to separate us and failed miserably. I stopped for a moment, and, as if on cue, we both charged straight at her.

Her startled cry jolted us into pausing.

The silence was thicker than Ace's skull and mine combined.

**000**

_I hadn't noticed at first, but the adults were always absent whenever our 'fessora' (that was Ace's butchering of the word 'professora') visited. The one time she met Gramps, she'd tensed and started shaking a little._

**000**

"Rune," she said, waving a hand in her direction. Then her right hand touched my shoulder, "Ann." "Ace," she pointed at brother.

"Rum," we looked at her, "Ann and Ace."

She surprised us by closing her brown eyes and throwing her dark brown hair back, laughing in a slightly unhinged way. She smirked, as if to say, _"Close enough."_

From that day on, a bond was formed and we dedicated ourselves to studying... but mostly goofing around and driving the adults nuts.

That's how I found out our full names. More importantly, where I had been reborn.

**000**

_If the events from One Piece were true (and considering what happened so far), that means Ace will die._

"Then again, I shouldn't exist... And look where I am now."

**000**

Two months after our third birthday, we could understand the common language with relative ease.

We never saw Rune again after that. Dadan told us she'd eloped; Ace's skeptical look went unnoticed by most.

**000**

Reading had been one of my most treasured abilities back on Earth; after all, knowledge was power.

That's why I grabbed a book, went to gramps and said, "Teach me?"

Needless to say, brother sat down and learned with me.

**000**

I didn't know whether to be proud or depressed that Ace could keep up with my academic pursuits. _'Maybe this is all I have to do to keep him alive?'_

In the end, I settled for a combination of both.

**000**

Leaf on the river,

Its tiny ripples, unseen…

Keep getting bigger.

**000**

At that time, I never imagined the consequences of my actions.

**000**

Nurtured end_

AN: I remember why I ran away from the OP fandom some years ago. It's addicting... gah.

So... thanks for reviewing: pizzafan123 and sweetlilsunshine.

Ann, Anna, Anne... it depends on the translation. I picked Ann for a reason... a somewhat dumb reason, but a reason nonetheless.

If you like/hate the story, can you tell me why?

Thanks for reading~

Disclaimer: One Piece is awesome; I'm not.


	3. Burdened

**-Burdened-**

I should have been the middle child back in my old life. However, I was the only one to survive the nine months before shouting my resolve at the world.

My first word was "cookie", to my parents' amusement. As for the first sentence…

"_Want lil bro."_

**000**

"Only child? You're lucky to have your parents and room all to yourself. Siblings suck."

Every time I heard that, I wanted to punch someone.

Did they know I spent hours talking to my mother's belly and singing lullabies? How I started wearing my male cousin's hand-me-downs so we'd have money to spend on baby toys? That I'd asked auntie how to change diapers and how to hold a newborn and how to bathe and keep them warm and—

The terror when father (_my hero, the toughest man on Earth_) came back home in tears. Mother's longing gaze whenever she thought I wasn't looking and their choked sobs late at night.

How dare those poor excuses for adults say such a callous thing to a five years old child?

I hated them and wished it was _their siblings_ who **died**.

**000**

"_A child looking after children. She's so adorable!"_

I wonder if the reason I'd always loved being near children had anything to do with being an only child. Scolding them, holding them and bandaging their scrapes just felt right. I thought that was all there was to it.

That is, until I met Anna and discovered the wonders of being the younger sister for a change.

She was two years older and a lot more mature than people twice her age. She was blond, tall and blunt. She took me under her wing and _I would be just like her when I was ten, she'd see!_

Ironically, I'm a blond older sister named Ann now.

Just like I wanted.

_Anna, wherever you are, I thank you for putting up with me… I regret never telling you how important you were, never showing my gratitude for your being there for me. I wonder… do you have any fond memories of the time we spent together?_

_If I'm a good sister to Ace, can I be forgiven…?_

**000**

A female, (mostly) blond Ace.

I poked the mirror. Frowned. Jumped. The reflection did the same. _'Yup, that's me.'_

_Are these… caterpillars on my brows?_

On closer inspection, my right eye was a few shades darker. And my hair… was oddly reminiscent of a bad dye job, what with those stubborn tufts of black scattered haphazardly. _'The brows are easily corrected with a pair of tweezers, I guess. We'll never be able to swap if I don't dye my hair or find a wig, though.'_

'…_I look like a bankrupt punk.' _I glared at Ace's back, '_You're one lucky bastard_.' only to whistle innocently when he shivered and looked in my direction.

**000**

"Bwahaha! You've grown a lot, almost adults now! In a few years, you'll be great Marines and make me proud!"

On our fifth birthday, Gramps started our tortu—_training_. As much as I wished he'd drop dead back then, his methods were probably the only reason I lived for so long… although it's a miracle we even survived to see our sixth birthday in the first place.

"Ten laps around Mount Colubo!" _Okay, easy enough… probably._

"One hundred push-ups!" _No problem! Only_, could you please get off my back, grandfather dearest?

"Too slow! Spread your feet wider or you'll lose balance!" _Couldn't you have said that before throwing me from that cliff…?_

"You footwork is lousier than before! Focus!" _It's difficult to focus when you've got a concussion. Wait, is that blood dripping from my ear? GAH! Dow't feel by dose, I thiek it's broge—_

"Don't complain! These are my fists of loooove!" _If this is how yo_u treat those you love, I'd hate to be your_ enemy. Wait. Aha! Sly old man, you're conditioning us to fear you enough so we won't become pirates! …the sad part is that it's working._

"What kind of Marine can't swim?" _I'm pretty sure 'sink or swim' is an expression… who in their right mind throws two five years old in the ocean during winter? Never mind. Dumb question._

Thankfully, Gramps only stayed for a week… more than twice the time it took for me to become an expert in first-aid.

**000**

"What do you mean by no meat?" Ah, brother… I'm sure people could hear you all the way to Windmill village.

"That's right, brat. You've got to earn your keep. We're generous enough to give each of you a bowl of rice and a roof over your snotty heads!"

"FINE!" Ace grabbed my hand, "C'mon, Ann. We'll get a huge bear just for us! We won't share even if you beg!" He stuck his tongue out and pulled me out of the shack, slamming the door on his way out.

**000**

"I'm hungry."

"Here," I shoved my half-eaten bowl on Ace's hands. "I'm a girl, so I don't need to eat as much"_ Blatant lie._ "Wasting food is bad, so you eat it."

He frowned at me, but ate nonetheless.

"Hey, lil bro. If you keep making that face, it'll stick." He pouted. "Aw, don't worry. See, I'm doing this for myself too," I grinned mischievously and poked his nose, "You're stronger than me, so you've gotta have the energy to hunt something big enough for the both of us!"

"That's true. You couldn't even carry that wolf last week. Heh." Ace put the empty bowl aside and leaned back on the grass. I plopped myself on his right side and rested my hand on his.

Raising his left hand and looking at the stars through his stretched fingers, brother asked, "Hey, Ann… did you ever think that maybe we shouldn't exist?" He exhaled softly, "We are the devil's children and the first thing we did was to kill mother."

"What?" My grip on his hand tightened. "What do you mean by that?"

"I—they said we shouldn't have been born, that the world would be better off if we died." He closed his eyes, "hanged in front of everyone, so they know what horrible creatures we—"

"Ace…" I inclined my head and looked at him, "what happened? Who said that?"

"You were sick last week, so I had to buy some medicine in Edge Town. Then, there were those men… they were talking about ripping out our teeth one by one… cutting off our fingers joint by joint and carving our names on our backs with a hot knife so everyone would know why we deserved to suffer and could laugh at us. I… ran away before they finished speaking."

_I… what am I supposed to say? He's just a child… and they…_

I shut my eyes and grit my teeth. Count to ten and breathe. Tears. Frustration, anger, revulsion, hatred and sadness blended in a bitter mélange. I moved closer and rested his head on my chest.

He yelped, "What are you doing?" I held him tight, pressing his ear against my ribs.

"You know, I still remember her smile. Mother's, that is." At his inquisitive glance, I continued, "I also remember pain like no other, the certainty I'd die. Then, you called out to me and held my hand. Sometimes, I wonder if the black locks amid the blond aren't yours."

"That's weird," he scrunched his nose, "how do you remember that, anyway?"

"I… I just do, I guess? But that's not really important." I caressed his scalp, combing through his hair with my fingers. "Do you think I should die?"

"Of course not! Why would you even ask that?" Ace demanded, outraged.

"The sound of my heartbeat—can you hear it? I owe that to you. Mother valued our lives more than hers. Our existence matters to someone. Your existence matters to me."

"But—"

"Isn't that enough? We never hurt anyone, and those men still wanted to kill and torture us. They are the real monsters. Not us." My hand stopped moving and settled on his forehead. "Never us."

"…"

I knew that wasn't enough to convince him, but that was all I could do. Humming softly at first, I soon remembered a melody and, with it, words. The translated lyrics didn't fit and it sounded a little awkward. Even if some syllables stumbled out of my mouth in a jumbled mess, I'd like to think I could convey at least part of my feelings.

_I'm here, always calling out to you.  
When all the tiresome reasons pile up,  
We'll discover the meaning of our birth._

The touch of a wooly blanket covering us woke me up and I caught a small silhouette against the moonlight. A gruff, "Good night, kids," and a pat on my head. Sleepily, I mumbled, "Night, Dogra…"

We slept under the stars.

…Only to wake up in a coughing fit, wheezing our lungs out and miserably trying to wipe the snot away from our irritated noses.

It was winter, what did you expect?

**000**

Burdened_End

(eh, that sounds funny)

**At some point, Ace asked some random people about Gol D. Roger's "hypothetical" offspring.**

*goes look*

**Volume 59, Chapter 584, page 14/15.**

AN: Monozygotic twins of different genders are ridiculously rare, but considering how irregular Rouge's pregnancy was... Besides, it's OP and anything is possible.

A new chapter fresh from the oven (and boy, is it hot in here.).

Comments are always appreciated and you people rock~

Thanks for reading and till next chapter! :3


	4. Found

**-****Found****-**

The future may be set in stone, but some things are harder than stone… like my head.

However, that's not enough; I must harden my body and soul. Only then I'll stand a chance…

**000**

"Hyah!" Ace's right fist scraped my left ear. 'Shoot, too close!' "Ow!" His left did connect to my cheek, though. "Hah… hah…" I stepped back, took a deep breath and schooled my features into a blank look.

"Give up yet?" He taunted. My nonchalant demeanor soon paid off when he scowled for a moment. _'Now!'_ I sped towards him, pulling my punch when he moved his hand to parry. I shifted and back kicked his temple hard enough to disorient. He stumbled, and I seized the opportunity to glomp him, laughing maniacally as I held him in an armlock and gave him a very through noogie.

"Geroff!"

"Yay! I won!"

"No, you didn't!" He quickly flung me to the ground and reversed our positions. "Don't celebrate before making sure the enemy is out cold," he smirked.

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" I raised my arms and mumbled, "Sore loser."

"It's not that I'm a sore loser. You just suck that much."

I slapped his head in mock outrage. "Just because you're two victories ahead—" and faltered at his wince. "Hey, are you alright?"

"You kick harder than a mule," he said, rubbing his head. He paused for a second and added, "You look and act like one too."

I resisted the urge to punt him in the stomach. 'He probably has a concussion.'

"All the good looks went to me, so it can't be helped."

It was very hard.

"And I'm also stronger and—"

"Dear brother," I closed my eyes and smiled. His eyes widened and he started inching away from me. "If you value your balls, you'd better run," I growled. **"Right."** Stomp. **"Now."**

Ace sprinted away, never looking back. When he was out of sight, I plopped down on the ground and started laughing. "He always falls for that!"

I wonder if he knows I'd never really do that. After all, I do want _a ton_ of nieces and nephews to spoil rotten.

…besides, if we ever fought for real, he'd kick my behind. Probably. Well, no; Gramps would kick both our behinds and rant about improper behavior.

I shuddered dramatically. _'Knock on wood, knock on wood lest the devil appears!'_

**000**

Between training, hunting and studying, we barely noticed the passing of time. Well, the seasons were noticeable enough, but their significance was lost to us. Spring only meant pollen allergies; summer brought the mosquitoes and scorching hot; autumn gifted us with soothingly cool wind and food. As for winter… it delivered harsh coldness, but more importantly… snow cones! They lowered our body temperatures and made us clink our teeth, but they were so worthy it! And cuddling under a thick blanket was just a perfect way to fall asleep… that is, until—

"Wake up, birthday duo!"

**SPLASH!**

"Gah!" Shiver, tumble and roll; bang (_"Ow!"_), turn and fall (_"Oof"!_).

Drowsiness forcefully expunged by a bucketful of cold water in a winter morning, we got up, got a new change of clothes and mournfully glanced at our bed (we were small enough to share). Sighing resignedly, we rubbed the last few traces of sleep from our eyes, yawned, scratched our bellies and headed to the bathroom.

"After all these years, your twin-ness still creeps me out."

"Now, now, Dogra," Magra chided, "That's not very nice." With an expert flick of his wrist, the pancake somersaulted and landed back on the frying pan. If Dadan saw him cooking for us, she'd whack him silly. Fortunately, she always slept in during winter.

The taller man wiped his hands on a pink apron and set the fluffy pancake on a plate. He was about to pour a ladleful of batter when the door was kicked so hard it sailed over the table and crashed on his head…

"Happy birthday to you!"

Shivering, we turned to look at our worst nightmare...

The beating that followed was actually quite mild… by that, I mean we only got some purple bruises and, in my case, a sprained ankle.

"Hm… you need new clothes," Grandpa muttered (read: didn't shout too loud), inspecting the frayed sleeve of my coat. Fishing for a leather pouch on his white coat's inner pocket, he handed me a wad of cash. "You can use the change to buy something nice," he patted my head and slapped Ace's back.

My eyes widened when I finished counting the bills. 'Gramps… you're giving us a small fortune…!' I quickly donned a disarming puppy smile and curtsied, kicking my brother's shin so he'd bow and (pretend to) smile. When Garp opened his arms, I jumped and hugged him, "Thank you, grandpa! You're awesome!" What can I say? It made him happy to have a delicate and loving granddaughter with manners. And if reminding him I was his 'fragile, sweet little girl who wants to be a nurse' meant he'd pull his punches, well… survival of the fittest?

I regret nothing.

**000**

The next day started with us trekking the trail to Edge town. More precisely, I was cheerfully dragging a protesting Ace to go shopping while humming a merry tune — same thing, really. When we crossed the gates, I ran to the closest second-hand store (no use buying new clothes when we'd outgrow them in a few months) and started rummaging through their sales bin. After my pile of possible acquisitions was taller than me, I proceeded to screen the clothing articles more carefully. "What do you think? Anything you like?" I turned to brother and asked.

"Just get over with it," he sulked.

"In that case, you won't mind wearing these pink shirts, right? They're too big for me, but will fit you just right!" I beamed, shoving a pink monstrosity with more frills than a princess Lolita outfit. _'And it's so cheap too!'_

He stared at it, then turned away and made to run. Before he could cross the dilapidated door, I grabbed his hand, "Nuh uh, you're staying, unless you really want a pink wardrobe." I grinned as Ace sighed in dismay and resigned himself to my special brand of torture.

Red t-shirt with black sleeves. "No."

Brown wool coat. "No."

Orange shirt with a blue cat. "…yes."

Black pants with more pockets than fabric. "Hell yes."

Purple 'Okama Way' bandanna. "Ew, why did you even… never mind."

Plain blue jacket. "So so."

A pink scarf with fuzzy white fringes and a heart-shaped clip. "No way—""Sorry, that's for me." Weird look. "What? I'm a girl!" Disbelief. "Jerk!"

And so it went on for twenty minutes or so. We headed to the counter and dropped our purchases on it. The clerk, an average looking woman in her middle twenties, put her book down, counted the clothing articles and mentally calculated the price. "That will be three hundred beli, dears."

'_Three hundred? Not bad. Still…'_

I removed some money from my pocket and made a show of counting it. Widening my eyes in the best puppy pout on that side of East Blue, I bit my lower lip and lowered my head. "B-but… hm… I only have two hundred and eighty!"

Her brown eyes softened and she smiled apologetically, "Sorry, but those are already at half price. Maybe you could ask your parents?"

I forced some tears out and sniffled. Ace took his cue and moved to hold me, holding back his own fake tears. In a practiced heartbroken tone, he whispered, "Auntie told us mommy and daddy are waiting in Heaven." He tilted his head. "Is it too far, miss? Maybe if I call them, they'll come see us?" He rubbed his eyes, "I miss them…" _'Damn, he should be an actor.'_

By that point, the shopkeeper was wiping her tears with an old handkerchief. Shakily exhaling, she tried to smile, but it came out as a pained grimace. She packed our stuff, carefully folding everything and covertly adding the yellow sun dress I had eyed before, as well as a few extra beli. Faking cheerfulness, the woman grinned, "Oh, look here! I think you dropped some money. With what you already gave me, it's more than enough." She handed us twenty beli and some candies.

I smiled shyly and bowed. "Thank you miss!"

"That's ok. Now, off you go!" She patted our backs.

Ace smiled hesitantly, took my hand and waved, "Bye bye, pretty lady!"

In our rush, we 'forgot' the bags. Sighing fondly, the shopkeeper stashed them under the counter and sat down to finish her book.

**000**

"See? Playing our cards right, those morons will pat our heads and smile," I grinned triumphantly.

"Humph, so you were right. Big deal." Ace stuck out his tongue and continued shoving meat into his mouth.

We were at a small family restaurant, right beside the shopping district. The walls were a comforting shade of orange and the old wooden chairs were well cared for. The food was pretty good and the owner kept bringing more and more; all it took was a small question (_"Miss, I don't have much money… can I work here for some food?"_).

"Oh, you're such a polite and responsible young lady! Here, try my special chicken pie." The wrinkled old woman handed me another plate and poured one more glass of fruit juice.

I beamed, wiped my mouth with a napkin and said, "Wow, everything tastes so good!" I took another bite. "Kinda like mommy's…" _Trembling voice, check; abandoned kitten look, check; vict- I mean, owner's favorable reaction, check!_

After stuffing our stomachs full, I got up and started piling up the plates. A small kick (gotta love them) to his shin assured Ace did the same with the remaining tableware. We walked into the kitchen and carefully deposited them on the sink. "Acey, can you get that?" I pointed to the corner, where a single stool at the foot of a small table. He nodded and put it by the sink. I climbed, opened the faucet and grabbed the sponge. "Can you dry the dishes? Just pile them up on the table."

And so, the woman (_"You can call me Auntie Marie!"_) found us doing the dishes. As 'payment', she packed an enormous meal for us to take home. We smiled politely and thanked her.

**000**

"The nice lady in the restaurant gave us some food, but it's too much for us." I shoved a vegetable pie in the bewildered shopkeeper's hands. "Sorry for all the trouble!"

"Ah, and here's a slice of cake for dessert, because dessert's important too!" _Aw, Acey… so ridiculously huggable._

The woman smiled, patted our heads and gave us our clothes (and another handful of candies). "You're so sweet! Thanks."

**000**

"See, brother? If we suck up to them, we get a lot of free stuff and they won't chase us off. Everybody wins!" I bounced happily as we traversed the Gray Terminal.

Ace frowned. "Stop gloating already!"

"You're no fun at a—_oof_!"

"Watch where you're going!" A blond boy shouted, rubbing his back.

"You were running like mad so it's your fault! Meanie," I snapped back, crouching to gather the bags I'd dropped. I was reaching for a top hat when a hand rested on mine. I looked up and froze.

'_**I can never be free here!'**_

Sabo…?

**000**

Found end_

AN: And so I leave you with a cliffhanger and the longest chapter yet. So much happens in this one…

Next chapter, canon will be officially scr*wed and stuff happens.

Also, do you think I should look for a beta?

Disclaimer: Still don't own.


	5. Foot, meet mouth

**Recent manga events made me revise the plot. OC!Ann died two months before chapter 731 was released, so she doesn't know about [censored spoiler]. Huhuhu.**

**Warning: light gore and silliness.**

**The World for Your Sake**

**Part II: Canon is History.**

**Chapter 5: Foot, meet mouth.**

Figurative and literally; when I was a baby, I'd spit pacifiers and chew on my toes instead.

**000**

I can hear someone laughing. No, this is a perversion of amusement, a sick mockery of human life. That _thing_ (I can't bring myself to call it human) has its grotesque features segregated by a glass helmet, too pretentious to breathe the same air we do (and I am secretly pleased—that way, they won't contaminate us with their rotten corruption.)

_What drifts about the ocean of the forest__  
Is a swaying little boat filled with sorrow to the rim.  
It is the grief of wandering souls__  
And a perfectly clear, lonely silence._

The boat is on fire, and its occupant is no more. A single hat remains, and I grab for it.

…but when I finally reach it, my hands grasp at warmth.

plip _plop_ plip _plop_

A viscous substance drips on my white shirt.

_plip_ plop _plip_—

Tangled strings cut my finger.

The hat is as soft as a baby's skin.

It's oval, with some strange indentions, almost like a—

_pli_p _plo_p _pli_p p_l_**_o_p splas**h

I look down, dreading what my heart already knows.

The head in my hand had its eyes carved out, mouth torn in a too-wide (too wrong) smile. Part of the skull is missing_, and oh my god, is that his brain?_

Shakily, I scoop it from the ground (when had I dropped it?)

It looks up and grins at me.

**000**

"**AAAH!"**

"Dammit, my nose!"

'_What…?'_

Someone's holding my hand.

"Ace?"

He smiles gently (and his eyes are suspiciously red, but I don't comment on it). "Took you long enough."

"What happened?" I ask, rubbing my eyes. _'Tears? Why was I crying?'_

He frowns, biting his lower lip (I have the urge to poke him on the nose). "You don't remember?"

Sitting up, I tilt my head, "Should I?"

"Sis, how much is five plus one?"

Pause.

"Five one," I reply, scratching my head in confusion.

He sighs and commands, "Go back to sleep."

"'Kay."

**000**

"Urgh, my head…"

"So, I'd ask if you were better, but your complaining is proof enough you won't just keel over and die."

I looked up to find Ace grinning at me. There was a haunted quality to his eyes, though.

I made to sit up, but a hand quickly halted my attempt. "Don't move yet. You fainted and bumped your head pretty hard–the rock has an impression of your forehead now."

"…You're kidding, right?"

"Er, no. You actually cracked that stone over there." He pointed to a boulder with a big indent surrounded by small fissures in a spider web pattern. Ace's posture and tone of voice indicated he was telling the truth…

"Where's the boy?" I choked, wide eyes scanning my surroundings.

"Ah, the blond with the top hat?" Ace inquired. At my nod, he continued, "He's on the other side of the Ann Boulder."

"Ann Boulder?" I couldn't help but grin, "Has a nice ring to it… perfect! I have a geological formation named after me!"

Little bro burst into laugh.

"I was being serious," I pouted.

His laughter only increased in volume.

**000**

The sun had already set, so the boy—Sabo—offered to let us sleep in his hideout. The trek there was short, but I was glad Ace had a good sense of direction, because that place was a maze... actually, it was even worse; the shape was always changing as more garbage was thrown onto it, and the stench made focusing on anything else almost impossible.

Finally, we arrived at a shadowed corner. Sabo looked around, making sure no one was around. Then, he moved a few boxes and motioned for us to follow him into an alcove, before closing it and lighting a small lantern. We walked through a tunnel, twisting in many directions (and I wouldn't know how to get out even if you gave me a map.) Then, he started knocking on random sections of the wall.

Thud thud thud toc

Sabo pushed a panel, revealing a small knob. He turned it, then counted five steps back and pushed a small door. He pulled the lever inside and bowed to us.

My astonished gaping was interrupted when something fell on my head. _'A rope?'_

"Well, what are you waiting for? Climb it!" He exclaimed smugly.

The interior was surprisingly spacious and well lit. The furniture was well cared for. Right beside the bed, there was a desk with a few charts scattered on its dust-free surface; In the center, a table and some chairs. On our right, there was a large drawer and a couch.

"Wow." _'Brother, you took the words from my mouth.'_

"Welcome to my humble abode," the noble bowed with a flourish.

_**Growl**_

'_Way to go, stomach.'_

"I take it you're hungry?"

I blushed and fidgeted, "Hm, we have food. Since you're letting us stay here, it's the least we could do."

He smiled, "That would be acceptable."

As he moved to retrieve some plates, Ace was already sorting our earlier acquisitions.

**000**

The dinner's silence was interrupted by Sabo. "You know my name, yet I do not know yours."

'_Oh, right.'_ I rested my fork on the plate, wiped my mouth with a napkin and said, "Ah, how rude of me. My name is Ann."

Ace was about to open his mouth when I discreetly stepped on his foot. He looked briefly at me, but he still swallowed before speaking, "I'm Ace." As an afterthought, he added, "Thanks for having us here." _'Oh, little bro, I'm so proud of you… sniff… you actually remembered to thank him!'_

"Well, I couldn't leave you to fend for yourselves after this afternoon's incident, could I?" He looked at me, raised an eyebrow and smirked.

'Is he mocking me? Damn noble.'

**000**

I watched fondly as Ace kicked the blankets, snoring loudly. Sensing our host approaching, I turned to face him and motioned to the exit.

"So, how did you know my name?" Sabo asked, closing the shuttle behind him.

My heart beat quickened and I froze. "Pardon?"

"You sleep-talk," he eyed me suspiciously. "Have we ever met before?"

"I just know things," I blurted out before my brain could fabricate a believable story. At his questioning glance, I faltered. "Er, I never met you, but it feels as if I'd known you forever?"

He raised an eyebrow, "That sounded suspiciously like a question."

_Wait a sec. I can't control my sleep-talking, but if I could explain it away… think fast, Ann!_

_Okay. Just stare vacantly and say random stuff in a dreamy whisper. If all else fails, he'll just think you're nuts… which is kind of true._

"I've dreamed of you." _True enough._ "You like maps_…?" Well, the desk by his bed did have a few maps and charts._ "Ah, navigating! And freedom…? Black flag… pirate?" _Pause, chew lower lip thoughtfully and ask_, "Whoever heard of a pirate writer? You wish to document your travels? Such a wonderful dream!" _Close your eyes and smile sweetly_.

As I finished my impersonation of a mad seer, he was gaping comically, wide fish-like eyes and everything. _'Damn, just fall for that already! I was an avid believer of the supernatural at your age… even if I'm your age now.'_

After a few minutes of silence, I grew impatient, donned my most innocent expression and leaned towards him, "Say, if you ever set sail, you'll need a doctor right?"

That seemed to break him out of his trance. "Er, yeah."

"Great! So it's settled! I can also cook and sew! Acey is an excellent hunter," I mimicked his fighting stance, "He can also fish and his punches are very strong." As an afterthought, I added, "And if we're in danger, just use him as bait, he doesn't mind… much."

"Uh, what?"

I impulsively grabbed his hand and lead us back in his hideout. Stepping over Ace's head, I pushed Sabo onto his bed. Before he could open his mouth to protest, I covered his head with a blanket, uttered a quick 'good night', turned the lamp off _(how did he have electricity there, anyway?) _and plopped down on the couch.

Sigh.

_Well done, Ann. You messed up big time. Mad seer, really?_

_Aw, shut up. I doubt you could come up with a better excuse on the spot._

_You do realize you're talking to yourself, right?_

Ignoring the voice in my head, I buried my face in the blanket I had stolen from Ace and mumbled, "Maybe I can convince him it was all a dream?"

_Are you an idiot?_

_Shut up, voice._

**000**

Foot, meet mouth end_

AN: So, I decided to cut it here. Makes more sense… (not an excuse for such a short chapter, no sir.)

**Bonus: Umi wo Meguru Otoko**

Summary: In which Ace unwittingly becomes a poltergeist and starts a revolution in the After-Life. Features protective big bros, boob jokes, zombies and exorcist!Brooke being awesome.

**Ace:** Huh, so this is Heaven. *looks around*

**Receptionist who looks suspiciously like a certain blonde secretary:** Welcome to Heaven, mister Portgas. You have killed many people and spread chaos wherever you went. *reads report* You should have spent twenty years in Purgatory before ascending… however, you sacrificed your life for the Chosen One—

**Ace:** Wait, Luffy is some kind of messiah?

**Receptionist:** Correct. He's already saved thousands of lives and rid the world of many evils. His destiny is to become the Pirate King and usher a new era of prosperity for the world.

**Ace:** Huh?

**Receptionist:** That or trigger the Apocalypse, whichever comes first.

**Ace:** HUH?

-later…-

**Ace:** *wriggles uncomfortably* Gah, I hate shirts.

**Receptionist:** Please keep your clothes on, mister Portgas. No indecent exposure is allowed in Heaven.

**Ace:** I'm not gonna parade in my birth suit or anything. But this shirt is suffocating me.

**Receptionist:** That's sexual harassment.

**Ace:** No, it isn't! *grumbles* As if the fluffy wings and weird antennae weren't enough… and where's my hat?

**Receptionist:** The design was considered offensive, so we left it in Purgatory.

**Roger:** SON! *tackles*

**Ace:** Geroff! *looks up*

**Roger:** *wide smile*

**Ace:** *points* What about this thing? It's a lot more offensive than my hat.

**Roger:** (thing…?) OTL

**Receptionist:** It's not orange.

**Roger:** (…it…?) orz

**Rouge:** Now now, dear… he didn't mean it. *hugs*

**Ace:** The hell I didn't mean! You— *double takes* Mom?

**Rouge:** Hello, Ace. I wasn't expecting you so soon. I died so you'd live a happy life and populate the new world with Portgas children. *smiles* What. Are. You. Doing. Here?

**Ace:** *shivers* Er… gotta go, bye bye! *runs away*

**Roger:** Not even one bastard? At your age, I had at least twenty children scattered around the worl—

**Rouge:** Dear. What did you say?

**Roger:** Er, gotta go bye bye? *runs*

**Receptionist:** …

**Ace:** *pant* What was that place…? It couldn't be Heaven if that man was there. Hey, that's my hat! *removes shirt and puts hat on* Much better. Now, where to? After 'Heaven', I'll take my chances in Hell. At least it's warm in there.

-bonus end-

If I ever publish the bonus as a multi-chapter fic, I'll have to rewrite it so it is in accordance to FF net's guidelines. Never really understood why they don't accept script format. Oh well, there's always AO3.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or 'Ta ga Tame no Sekai' (which roughly translates to 'The World for Someone's Sake'). Oh, and the song Ann butchered in chapter 3 is Karma, by Bump of Chicken.

Sorry if there are any mistakes. I haven't slept in almost 40 hours, and if I went to sleep before posting, you wouldn't get this chapter before Christmas. orz

edit: two hours later and I'm still awake. Damn insomnia. At least, I caught a few mistakes before many people read it. 'n.n

Thanks for reading and bye bye.


	6. The Road to Hell

AN: The Japanese expressions appear only during flashbacks/thoughts. And that's because I've used them my whole life, what with having a (mostly?) Japanese family and all.

**-****The Road to Hell****-**

…is paved with good intentions.

I'm scared. What if I mess things up?

**000**

"Is it true…?" Sabo asked, wonder evident in his quiet voice as he munched on a toast.

So he was still a child after all.

The world hadn't managed to stomp that faith inherent to youth; not completely, at least. I tried to protect Ace's innocence, but it was so hard… whenever he looked at me with those eyes full of doubt and self-loath, I wanted to hold him and cry. But Sabo wasn't so broken yet, he still had hope. His determination and dreams shone so brightly, so intensely!

A part of me felt horrible for betraying his frail trust.

Still, I smiled and nodded, thinking of how I should word the next phrases. '_I must sound wise and establish as sense of kinship by pointing out our similarities.'_

"Why is it that parents bestow such burdens on children? The three of us are trying to escape the long shadows cast by the ones who brought us to life. For seemingly different reasons, we chase after the same dream: freedom."

Apparently, that was the right thing to say, for he smiled hesitantly and let me hold his hand.

Inwardly, I sighed in relief. _'Disaster averted… for now.'_

**000**

I had forgotten a very important detail. In fact, calling it a detail was a gross underestimation.

"What were you doing outside?"

How could I even forget my darling little brother in the first place?

"Huh?" was my intelligent reply.

Ace had just woken up, most likely by the scent of buttered toast and milk. He yawned, stretched his neck and elaborated, "Last night, I heard the shuttle closing, then some very loud 'whispering'."

"You… heard us?" I looked at Sabo, silently asking for help.

_'Not my problem'_, his expression seemed to say. He further emphasized it by leaving.

Ace leaned on his chair, swallowed a double cheese sandwich with the help of a gulp of milk and set his cup back on the table. "You know, that explains a lot. You always knew things you couldn't possibly have learned, considering we are always together. Also, that 'twin speak' is an actual language, isn't it?"

Well, damn it. You caught me.

"Uh, yes. How did you guess?"

"It was in one of your books. According to it, twins will often communicate in their own languages, but they are very simple, unlike our so-called 'twin speak'. As if that wasn't enough, creating a functional writing system and consistently applying the same rules when we were three is impossible. It didn't make sense, until yesterday, that is. The missing piece of this puzzle is so misshapen, yet it fits perfectly."

_'Did you rehearse that speech, bro?'_ I resisted the urge to crack a joke about his sudden use of difficult words. Even if Ace sounded adorable right then. "When you put it like that…"

"Oh well," he shrugged, "If you had told me, I'd think you had finally lost it. But your knowledge is really useful, so we should just wring as much profit from it as possible."

_'I created a little monster,'_ was my deliriously happy line of thought.

**000**

"…Why are you still here?"

"Your home is really cool, Sabo!" I cheerfully exclaimed.

"She didn't let me leave!" was Ace's simultaneous reply.

Sabo shot me a pointed look, "It's been a week."

Grinning unrepentantly, I put my right arm around his shoulders, "We're friends, right?"

"…You are parasites," the noble deadpanned.

**000**

"… and that's why you should wear a disguise before engaging in illicit activities such as arson, murder and pickpocketing," I put down the chalk and erased the blackboard, adjusting my glasses (that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere) and sat down.

"I see your point, sis, really…" Ace shuffled uncomfortably on his seat, "…but did you really have to give a two hours long lecture on the importance of disguises?"

Sabo yawned and I glared at him, "I wouldn't need to repeat it so much if a certain noble would just listen to me."

Said noble froze momentarily, "How did you… you know what, just forget I asked."

Ace's eyes widened comically, "Wow, you're a blue blood? Why are you living here? Did they kick you out?" In his excitement, he had gotten up and was hovering over Sabo.

"Brother, don't throw so many questions at once, or you'll lose track of the answers."

"That's okay," the blond sighed, "I was born to a noble family of the Goa Kingdom. My parents secured a marriage contract to the princess—"

"—the princess?" Ace interrupted, "Is she pretty?"

I threw a piece of chalk on his forehead.

Sabo's lips quirked upwards for a second, "No, she's the ugliest creature I've ever seen. Spoiled as hell, too. The prospect of marrying her was terrifying, so I ran away some months ago."

"Are you happier now?" I asked, interrupting Ace before he could spout something insensitive. Or complain about the chalk.

"…yes."

I closed my eyes and exhaled softly. "Why is it that parents bestow such burdens on children?"

Sabo's lips tilted in a half-smile, "I don't know."

Ace remained quiet.

**000**

"I totally won that fight!"

"Nuh uh, you didn't!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

Ace shook his head and sighed, "Stop arguing already. Let's just call it a draw and move on."

I whined, "But Acey! I got up first!"

"Did not!" was Sabo's mature response.

"Aren't you the older twin?" Ace asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"By a few measly seconds!" I grinned, sitting down on a patch of grass.

"…only when it suits you," he grumbled under his breath. Before we could resume our 'fight', he drew a circle under mine and Sabo's names. "That's twenty-six victories for me, twenty-two for Ann and twenty for Sabo."

"Aw, and I really wanted to win," I pouted, tracing random patterns on the soft earth with a finger.

Sabo soon joined me on the ground. Right on my drawings.

"You asked for it!" I roared, advancing on him.

Ace's palm met his forehead.

_'Ace palm, hehe…'_ I resisted the urge to giggle at my own stupid pun. That was the distraction Sabo needed. He quickly swiped his pipe under my feet and grabbed my hair before I could retaliate. _'Damn, that hurts!'_

If I hit him harder for the next month, no one dared comment. Ace did wince in sympathy when I used the nutcracker on Sabo.

_'Humph, you shouldn't pull a girl's hair!'_

**000**

Before we knew it, winter was gradually giving way to spring. It was still cold enough to drink hot chocolate, but the last snowflake had already melted.

_Chirp chirp~!_

"Stupid birds, go die and let me sleep some more," I mumbled, huddling closer to the warmth. _'So cold…'_ I kept rolling to the left, tangling myself in the blankets…

"AH!"

…Oops.

"Damn it! That's the third time you push us out of the bed!" Ace complained, throwing a pillow on my head.

Sabo growled some very inappropriate things that shouldn't be mentioned in a T rated fic. He then got up and stomped his way to the bathroom.

I kicked the blankets and sat up. Shivering as my feet touched the ground, I glanced at the inviting bed one last time, got up and headed to the kitchen.

The small clock by the cupboard read ten past five. _'So that's why it's so quiet in here.'_

I balanced half a dozen eggs in a frying pan stacked on top of a kettle in my right hand and a pack of tea leaves, a loaf of bread and a stick of butter on the left. I put everything on the counter and started a simple breakfast.

"So, do you have _that_ with you?" Ace whispered in my ear.

I nodded, throwing a sideways glance in Sabo's direction. "Yup, it's in my bag. Since it's his birthday, I'll pay for the food."

Ace looked at me in suspicion, "You're being awfully generous today."

"Well, it is his birthday." _'And it's the perfect excuse too.'_ I didn't say that out loud, of course.

Before the birthday boy noticed our hushed conversation, I shushed my brother and quickened my pace, almost tripping on a rock in the process.

Two hours later, I spotted a windmill. Then another and another and… "Whoa, no wonder it's called Windmill Village! They are so pretty and big!" I couldn't resist giggling as I skipped merrily on the road.

"Although it's my birthday, you seem to be enjoying our little trip the most, psychotic witch."

"Aw, you're so mean, Top Hat maniac!" I huffed, sticking my tongue at him.

Sabo rolled his eyes, "Hard to believe you're older than me."

At that comment, Ace snorted, "I'm almost sure gramps dropped Ann on her head."

"Makes sense," the other boy nodded sagely.

Before another fight could start, an old man called out, "Hey!"

I ran towards him, took a moment to recompose myself and bowed, "Good morning! My name is Ann. The boys over there are Ace and Sabo. We live near Edge Town."

The man smiled, "I see. Well, you seem like good kids, so feel free to explore our little village. If you need anything, just ask. My name is Woop Slap, and I'm the mayor."

By that point, the boys had already reached us, so the three of us bowed and waved goodbye.

"Now what?" Ace asked.

"Now… we eat!" I pointed to a certain bar.

"Why do you even bother asking?" Sabo quipped.

**000**

"Welcome to Party's Bar!" was the warm greeting we received.

Sabo sat by the counter, picked the menu and started browsing. Ace plopped down next to him and read over the other's shoulders. I was about to join them, but an entirely different thing caught my attention: there was a piano on the corner!

An embroidered cloth covered the modest but well cared for upright piano, and it reminded me of the time learning under Midori-sensei...

Trembling slightly, I walked in its direction, completely oblivious to my surroundings. 'Can I even play it in this body?'

Gulping, I shakily opened the lid, removed and folded the felt, placing it on the top. Gently tracing a finger over the ivory keys, I pressed down. The sound was surprisingly clear, and my lips tilted in a melancholic smile.

I sat on the bench and tried to play simple scales. It was surprisingly easy, despite my initial trepidation. As corny as it may sound, it felt like my soul remembered; adding that to the motor coordination of this body, it was as if I'd never stopped playing.

Feeling confident, I breathed slowly and let go of my worries. Hands guided by feelings I'd long repressed; emotions surfacing in a frenzied desperation.

_"You know, I was so sure you'd be a boy! That's why I bought a soccer ball, toy cars and kites. Then, the doctor said you were a girl. Your mother and I laughed and started buying girl stuff," father reminisced. "Fortunately, you still liked kicking things around, so the earlier purchases weren't a waste of money," he continued, tying a blue sash in a perfect bow. "Modesty aside, my little Flower is so cute in a sundress! And the seamstress captured the essence of my design perfectly."_

**-Melanconica;**

_"Ayumi-chan, ojii-san is still with us! He and our ancestors are watching over us from Heaven," Mother held back her own tears as she held me. "We light three Senkō and offer their favorite foods to thank them for everything."_

**-Lacrimosa;**

I was sinking and no one could save me. What possessed me to go fishing by myself? Would they find my body?

_I hope mamá and papá are okay…_

_Poor baa-chan, she's already so fragile._

_Heh, and I never got to finish writing my songs._

**-Morendo.**

_The serene smile didn't fade with her last breath. Portgas D. Rouge's tenderness was so sincere, and her love even more so._

**-Amorosa;**

_"Bwahaha! You've grown a lot, almost adults now! In a few years, you'll be great Marines and make me proud!"_

**-Energica;**

_"Hey, Ann… did you ever think that maybe we shouldn't exist?"_

**-Furiosa,**

_"I—they said we shouldn't have been born, that the world would be better off if we died."_

**…molto furiosa.**

"You'll only die of old age, brother. I promise."

**-Risoluta.**

I didn't bother with a proper cadenza, nor did I slow down before stopping. That sonata would only end with my last breath.

**000**

The Road to Hell end_

In case you're wondering, Senkō is an incense stick.

Sorry for taking so long... orz

A little piece of advice for the younger readers:

Being an adult sucks. Enjoy your high school years –college entrance exams have nothing on finding a good, stable job. And actually working after that.

Next chapter shouldn't take as long, if only because January is almost over.


End file.
